PEORIA — One look out the front window of the One World Cafe, 1245 Main St., indicates that you’re in a different world.

Just beyond the cafe’s heavy metal front door at the corner of Main and University, notoriously one of Peoria’s busiest corners, is a sea of dirt as an army of workers rushes to meet a deadline.

As many know by now, the Main and University area is going through some changes. When construction is completed, the result will be wider sidewalks, fewer traffic lanes and more benches.

The city’s goal is to help pedestrians while reducing vehicular traffic at a corner that’s long been one of the toughest to cross in town.

During the construction period, however, it’s businesses that are finding it tough going.

While delivery orders haven’t been affected, Avanti’s Ristorante, across University Street from One World, has had to transfer wait staff to other locations because dine-in business has fallen off as construction has intensified, said Pete Nicol, the restaurant’s chief operating officer.

“The city opened up an alley entrance into the restaurant from Elmwood Avenue to reduce traffic on University,” he said.

Over at One World, the cafe’s 85 employees remain on the premises but have spent more time on internal projects such as spiffing up the restaurant interior in light of a reduction of customers, said co-owner Bob Eid.

“Breakfast and lunch have really been off. Things pick up a little for dinner,” he said.

At the Thanh Linh Vietnamese Restaurant, just a few doors down from One World, it’s the nighttime business that’s fallen off because of construction, said an employee.

Across the street, in the Campustown Shopping Center, another eating place also reported less business during the reformation of the Main-University corner. “Obviously, it’s slowed down,” said Ed Awada, owner of the Steak & Fries outlet.

“We’re down about 30 percent — mostly at lunch. People don’t have time to wait. Parking (in the shopping center) has always been bad, but it’s really tight now,” he said.

Businesses will have to endure at least three more weeks of construction, said Eid. “They want to be done in time for Bradley University graduation on May 17,” he said.

Sitting in a booth at his restaurant alongside fiancee Amy Sickinger, One World’s marketing manager, Eid refuses to be concerned that a reporter is the only non-employee in his restaurant at 9 a.m. on a weekday, a time when the place is normally bustling.

“The roadwork has been needed for 20 years. It’s always been so difficult to cross Main and University. This will make it more inviting,” he said.

Page 2 of 2 - “When the work is done, you’ll step out this door and find an area that’s beautifully landscaped and three lanes of traffic instead of five lanes,” said Eid.

Sickinger also brightened at the prospect of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. “Slowing traffic will be good. It opens up opportunities for long-term growth,” she said.

Eid praised city and project staff for laying out detailed plans with businesses in advance. “What we didn’t expect was the difficulty in communicating to people on how to get into our place,” he said, nodding toward the back door, the only way into the restaurant.

Both One World and Avanti’s are offering in-store discounts to draw in customers during the construction period.

“The big message we want to get out is that we’re still open for business,” said Nicol.

Steve Tarter is Journal Star business editor. Tarter’s phone number is 686-3260, and his email address is starter@pjstar.com.